Dubai, March 27 (IANS) A welfare organisation for distressed Indian workers in Qatar more than doubled its assistance in 2006.

The Indian Community Benevolent Fund (ICBF) provided food, financial help, legal assistance and air tickets to aggrieved, lowly-paid Indian workers worth over 400,000 Qatari riyals (Rs.4 million) last year.

The cash component of the total assistance stood at QR.190,000 - more than double the 2005 figure of QR.80,000, ICBF president Nilangshu Dey said Monday in Doha.

"Since the organisation set up a help desk at the Indian embassy last year, establishing direct contact with Indians, the turnout of distressed workers and needy community members for assistance increased manifold," he added.

The group disbursed air tickets to 72 stranded Indians last year. Among them were 17 harassed runaway maids who were referred to the authorities for repatriation, the Peninsular Qatar newspaper reported.

Some 30 air tickets were given to other domestic and shop workers who had run away from their sponsors due to harassment. Four return tickets were provided to carry bodies of dead Indians home.

Tickets, foodstuff and cash are generally donated by individuals and Qatar-based Indian social and cultural bodies.

"There are 70 Indian organisations in Qatar, but ICBF gets help only from some 20 percent of them," Dey said.